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| Galapagos Flightless Cormorant |
What a wondrous creature – the Galapagos Flightless Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi). There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world. It epitomizes the meaning of species adaptation and is one of the most unique and interesting birds anywhere on Earth. With its long neck, grace and gentle demeanor, it's a favorite attraction for all Galapagos visitors. Look at those piercing blue eyes.
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| Photo by David Cook Wildlife Photography |
There are cormorants found all over the world and all species of
cormorant are marine birds that source their food from the sea. With one exception
- our unique and remarkable cormorant - cormorants fly above the ocean and dive down to catch the fish on which they survive. Once, our cormorant too flew, just like the other 27 species of cormorants found around our planet. Yet, over time, our unique and beautiful creature evolved and adapted to the rugged and arid volcanic terrain surrounded by salt water that defines the Galapagos Islands.
Most of us were taught in school that the bedrock of Darwin's book Origin of the Species and his theory of adaptation stemmed from his observation of finches in the Galapagos Islands. While on Galapagos, he collected and categorized finches from every island he visited, mostly as a study of what exists, but not why they exist.
It was only after he returned home to England and began studying his samples that he came to the realization that the birds from each island had developed slightly differently. Specifically, depending upon where they lived and the type of vegetation that was available on their particular island, they had developed unique beak styles that provided the best and most efficient access to their food source.
